Great Outdoors

A Sense of Wonder Sundays, A Family Affair

Though its beauty and serenity inspire each person differently, the Arboretum’s woods, wetlands, meadows, and gardens appeal to all ages. The whole family is invited for a fun-filled Sunday of enjoying the outdoors together. If you’re lucky, you may glimpse your child’s inborn sense of wonder—and rediscover your own. At Adkins Arboretum, Ridgely. $5 per person for members, $7 per person general public. 410-634-2847.

Ask any runner, and he or she will say that running is one of the easiest and least-expensive ways to maintain lifelong fitness. Running is for everybody, no matter your age, gender, shape, or size. The benefits to your cardiovascular system, strength, and emotional well-being are worth their weight in gold, and joining a running club makes it a social outlet as well!

Running ROCKS brings together the old and the new, from seasoned athletes to beginning runners, from adults to kids, from marathon junkies to weekend warriors, from individuals looking for a running buddy to entire families.

Bring family and friends to Sailwinds Park East for our annual Kite Festival, held from 11 am - 4 pm. This free festival features kites of all shapes and sizes, including a 130-foot long octopus kite. It's free fun for all ages. Featuring: * Stunt kite competitions * Children’s design-your-own-kite competition * Bring your own kite to fly or purchase a kite from Sky Jewells Kites * Wings Over Washington Kite Club demonstrations * OLO the Octopus, one of the world’s longest kites * Food vendors and more!

There was a massive southern movement of Pine Siskins during the 2008-09 season. Read more.

Ithaca, NY—What happens in the backyard should not stay in the backyard—at least when it comes to bird feeders. By sharing information about which birds visit their feeders between November and April, backyard bird watchers can help scientists track changes in bird numbers and movements from year to year, through Project FeederWatch, a citizen-science program from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada.

Project FeederWatch begins on November 14 and runs through early April. Taking part is easy. Anyone can count the numbers and kinds of birds at their feeders and enter their information on the FeederWatch website. Participants submitted nearly 117,000 checklists last season. Since 1987, more than 40,000 people from the United States and Canada have taken part in the project.

“To get the most complete picture of bird movements, we always need new sets of eyes to tell us what species are showing up at backyard feeders,” says David Bonter, leader of Project FeederWatch. “Participants always tell us how much fun it is and how good it feels to contribute to our understanding of birds by submitting their sightings.”

Project FeederWatch is for people of all ages and skill levels. To learn more and to sign up, visit www.feederwatch.org or call the Cornell Lab toll-free at (866) 982-2473. In return for the $15 fee ($12 for Cornell Lab members) participants receive the FeederWatcher’s Handbook, an identification poster of the most common feeder birds, a calendar, complete instructions, and Winter Bird Highlights, an annual summary of FeederWatch findings.

Participant Nancy Corr of Harrisburg, Oregon, sums up her Project FeederWatch experience: “Thanks for the wonderful opportunity to share our love of birding and to participate in something meaningful!”

The water trails guide maps out routes and provides suggested areas for exploration, as well as information on marinas, fuel docks, boat ramps, paddling launches, and restaurants where you can tie up while you dine. It also includes links to resources such as tide tables, navigation charts, and paddling maps.

The guide is available at the Dorchester County Visitors Center, Maryland Welcome and Visitors Centers, and at local outfitters and businesses. If you would like copies mailed to you, please email info@tourdorchester.org with the quantity and your address.

You know how you can drive past something every day and not notice the details? I hope I'm not the only one! Let me point out some interesting sights that you may have missed. Do you know how many drawbridges there are in Talbot County? Would you believe three!

As I was growing up in the west, my idea of a drawbridge was a monstrous structure in some metropolis and it always seemed to be raised just at the right time to have some crazed criminal attempt to use it as a takeoff ramp to elude the police in hot pursuit. Now that the midshore is my home, I have been pleasantly surprised to find out that drawbridges are much more practical and interesting than a Hollywood stunt.

When the Eastern Shore was first settled, rivers and creeks were the primary means of transportation. As roads were built, waterways were obstacles that had to be crossed while still allowing them to be navigated. Movable bridges were the solution!

Located on 250 acres near historic Chestertown and Fairlee Creek, Camp Fairlee Manor and Recreation Center has been providing recreation and respite services for children and adults with disabilities since 1954. Now in its 55th year, Camp Fairlee just ended another successful summer and had record numbers of persons attending camp.

Camp Fairlee knows how to provide a unique, and personalized summer camp experience for any person with a disability. Swinging high over the trees on a zip line, climbing a 30 foot high “rock” wall, walking the high ropes, or canoeing are examples of activities that children and adults of all ages and abilities enjoy. The benefits are numerous for anyone, but even more so for children and adults with cognitive or physical disabilities.